Beyond the Machine 4 : Orbs

Orbsby Elicoor

Last time, I introduced the concept of new abilities for mutants, but I did this in a long explanation about ways to change the game. Let's come back to one of the most important additions in MGG battle system: orbs.

Orbs 101
The Orb system was initially introduced as a means for players to customize mutants to their specific playstyles, by adding depth and complexity to the game.

Orbs can be sorted in two types : basic orbs, and special orbs.

Basic orbs improve existing abilities of a mutant. In other words, they can only improve an ability or score a mutant possesses, like Attack, Life, or a special Ability (including an ability granted by a special orb)

Special orbs, on the contrary, grant you a new ability you don't already possess. And yeah, a change in speed works as a new ability.

Some orbs can be ephemeral, meaning they will break after a set number of fights, allowing you to test things, or adapt to a given series of fights.

How can you make high-tiered orbs? By fusing lower-tier orbs in the Black Hole.

How do mutants interact with orbs:

Mutants have between 2 and 4 orb slots: one special slot, and up to 3 basic slots.

Basically, Heroic are more customizable Mutants than the others.

The Ball is Angry
Orbs are the core part of strategic choices in the game; here are a few examples that can help you decide how you could play:

choosing a speed orb can help you attack faster, but you won't get the advantage of an additional ability.

choosing an attack orb over an ability orb will make you deal more damage, but you'll have less secondary effect, which can be damage in some cases.

choosing a life orb over an attack orb makes you more survivable, but it has to help you gain an extra turn to kill the enemy

Depth comes from making the best choices for your mutants, either by creating combos between abilities, or by setting up a strategy.

To make these choices impactful, the team is working on two directions about orbs

First, different new orbs that could change the way you play the game.

The orbs that would be associated to the new abilities will increase the number of possible combinations.
- Who never wanted to have a mutant with both Slash and Mark ?

New basic and special orbs, unassociated to an ability, but granting a special, conditional effect.
- How about having extra damage when on low life?
- Or a revive with low life on the first time a mutant gets killed ?

Added to an increase of the max orb level. (The last event allowed you to seize Tier 5 Orbs, but these are not the last)

On the other side, a mutant which could be completely based on customization, with more slots than normal, and for a change, 2 special slots. However, this mutant wouldn't have an ability on its own.

New Mutant Rework
This time, we'll talk about our cute little pet: Bio-Hedgehog.

The Hedgehog needed a global boost, but I focused most of it in its shield and life, to keep it on the Tank side.

Another possibility we currently ruled out was a change of ability, making it change from Shield to Retaliate. After all, you don't hit a bio-hedgehog without touching to its spikes.

I hope you enjoyed that little peek into the future of Orbs as much as I enjoyed telling you about it. Next time, we're going to talk about the future of the Black Hole, and how things will change concerning orb making.